Tag Archives: Narcissus ‘Thalia’ (Thalia Daffodil)

In A Vase On Monday – Spring Forward

Each Monday Cathy at Rambling In The Garden invites us to share an arrangement using materials collected from the garden.

In A Vase On Monday – Spring Forward

Spring forward—yesterday marked a return to daylight savings time and we set clocks ahead by one hour. Despite the optimistic spring forward mnemonic, I gathered my flowers well ahead this week, on Friday, to stay ahead of winter’s return. A light snow fell briefly Sunday morning dusting the garden for a couple of hours before giving way to bright blue skies and sunshine. Early forecast models had predicted this might be a much bigger event than it was, but we could not escape below-freezing temperatures for several nights.

With impending cold and snow in mind I collected freely and was able to assemble a couple of designs.

In A Vase On Monday – Spring Forward

Both arrangements include Anemone coronaria ‘Mr. Fokker’ for a rich punch of color and lovely pure white Narcissus ‘Thalia’ for springtime freshness.

Anemone coronaria ‘Mr. Fokker’

Narcissus ‘Thalia’ just opened during the past week.

White Narcissus ‘Thalia’

The first arrangement places Mr. Fokker in a Portmerion porcelain vase with a botanic pattern with echoes of blues, greens and a blush of pink. Camellia x ‘Coral Delight’ enlivens the effect, subtle hellebores add balance.

In A Vase On Monday – Spring Forward

Although designed to be viewed from the front, the back of this arrangement shows off the Acuba’s gold flecks on dark green leaves.

Outside, arching branches of Eastern redbud are in bloom.

Back view highlights Acuba foliage. Eastern redbud is visible outdoors.

The second arrangement was intended to be a simple pitcher of daffodils, the newly opened Narcissus ‘Thalia’, and mostly is.

In A Vase On Monday – Spring Forward

In my experience daffodils are strong-willed, non-compliant participants in flower arrangements and work best when used alone. I forgot that lesson this week and fiddled with them for way too long. After a struggle I conceded and let them sit where they wanted; however, I did insist they share the vase with several anemones, grape hyacinths, candytuft and a single Tahiti double daffodil.

In A Vase On Monday – Spring Forward

The small bits of muscari and Iberis sempervirens add interesting texture and work well with the colors scheme.

In A Vase On Monday – Spring Forward

The stoneware container holding this second design was a wedding gift from my college roommate. I enjoy using this piece. It was made by a well-known local potter, Jim Pringle.

In A Vase On Monday – Spring Forward

Materials

Flowers
Anemone coronaria ‘Mr. Fokker’
Anemone coronaria ‘The Bride’
Camellia x ‘Coral Delight’ (Synonym: Camellia japonica x Camellia saluenensis)
Helleborus x hybridus (Lenten rose)
Hyacinth orientalis ‘Blue Jacket’
Hyacinth Sunrise Mix
Iberis sempervirens (Candytuft)
Muscari (Grape Hyacinth)
Narcissus ‘Thalia’
Foliage
Aucuba japonica ‘Variegata’ (Gold Dust Aucuba)
Vases
Portmerion- Botanic vase made in England
Stoneware pitcher glazed with bands of cream, green, blue. (from set of 4 cups and pitcher, Pringle Pottery, North Carolina, circa 1977)

Snow or no, this looks like spring to me. Has the season changed for you yet?

In A Vase On Monday – Spring Forward

Thanks to Cathy at Rambling In The Garden for hosting and giving us a chance to express our flower arranging passion. Visit her to discover what she and others found this week in their winter gardens to place In A Vase On Monday.

In A Vase On Monday—Evolving Design

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In A Vase On Monday—Evolving Design

Each Monday brings the chance to join Cathy’s In A Vase On Monday to share an arrangement using materials gathered from the garden.

My vision for today’s offering was to form an abstraction by arranging florets and foliage into a pattern—a circle, rectangle or square—laid on a pure white background. The idea evolved into creating the shape on a decorative silver-plated tray and eventually into abandoning the idea altogether and returning to a regular vase of flowers.

Laying down the abstract design was not as straightforward as I had imagined. Interweaving the greenery and blossoms was simple, but soon it was apparent the stems and flowers were going to twist and turn, yielding to gravity rather than to my plans. I needed to find a way to keep them in place.

To solve the problem I decided to build components, similar to small boutonnières, that could be held together by wrapping the stems with florist’s tape. This worked great and they went together quickly. I had gathered enough materials earlier in the day to crank these out all day. But after making a few I began losing interest in completing the original idea of the abstract shape.

I decided to just share the collection of flower sprays.

Building Blocks – boutonnières

These sprays of flowers would be attractive to tuck around individual place settings for a dinner party. There are four variations. The first combines Helleborus with foliage of Everlasting sweet pea and Lamb’s ear.

Helleborus with Everlasting sweet pea and Lamb’s ear foliage

The second pairs Narcissus ‘Thalia’ and Candytuft flowers with Shasta daisy and Lamb’s ear leaves.

Narcissus ‘Thalia’ and Candytuft with Shasta daisy and Lamb’s ear leaves

The third set also uses Shasta daisy and Lamb’s ear leaves for the background. The flowers are Narcissus ‘Thalia’ and Euphorbia ‘Shorty.’

Narcissus ‘Thalia’ and Euphorbia ‘Shorty’

The last design uses one of my new Hellebores. The interior has matured to green and is edged with the same maroon that is on the exterior of the petals. I love the greenish hue of this hellebore with the blue-violet of Anemone coronaria ‘Mr. Fokker.’ Soft lamb’s ears and a shasta leaf add the finishing touches.

Greenery, Helleborus and Anemone coronaria ‘Mr. Fokker’

Since I actually had polished the silver tray I decided to experiment a few minutes by arranging the the flowers on it.

In A Vase On Monday—Evolving Design

Components arrayed on silver

Helleborus and Anemone coronaria

Materials
Flowers
Anemone coronaria ‘Mr. Fokker’
Euphorbia ‘Shorty’ (Shorty Spurge)
Helleborus x hybridus (Lenten rose)
Iberis Sempervirens (Candytuft)
Narcissus ‘Thalia’ (Thalia Daffodil)
Foliage
Lathyrus latifolius (Perennial Sweet Pea)
Leucanthemum x superbum (Shasta Daisy)
Stachys byzantina (Lamb’s Ear)

Candytuft and Narcissus ‘Thalia’

No matter that my original concept evolved into something unexpected. I enjoyed the exploration. Eventually I collected the flowers and placed them into a square glass vase to savor this week.

In A Vase On Monday—Evolving Design

Thanks to Cathy for hosting this weekly flower arranging addiction. Visit her at Rambling In The Garden to discover what she and others are placing In A Vase On Monday and feel free to join in.

Entering Spring

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Spiraea prunifolia (bridal wreath spiraea)

Spring equinox. Sunday (March 20, 2016) at 12:30 a.m. EDT

A week of spectacular weather, sunny and warm, encouraged the garden deeper into bloom.

Spirea, an old-fashioned passalong, could hold back no longer. This shrub disappointed last year but has redeemed itself with a dazzling pageant.

Spiraea prunifolia (bridal wreath spiraea)

The branches are laden with flowers.

Spiraea prunifolia (bridal wreath spiraea)

Early blooming King Alfred were followed by Tete-a-tete daffodils. Both quickly finished their bright yellow displays for this spring once the temperatures increased. Fortunately the appearance of the white flowers of Narcissus ‘Thalia’ made a well-timed replacement.

Narcissus ‘Thalia’ (Thalia Daffodil)

I love white in the garden, but there is color as well.

What for weeks seemed like blooms on Euphorbia ‘Ascot Rainbow’ actually are variegated bracts. Recently, deep red, tiny flowers have been exposed.

Euphorbia ‘Ascot Rainbow’ (Ascot Rainbow Spurge)

Multicolored pansies, planted in fall around the meditation circle, are filling out.

Pansies in Meditation Circle

Anemone coronaria began flowering before Christmas but now are growing more vigorously. The blue-violet ‘Mr. Fokker’ is my favorite.

Anemone coronaria ‘Mr. Fokker’

Another old-fashioned garden staple, Phlox subulata (Moss Phlox) will soon decorate several of the borders.

Phlox subulata (Moss Phlox)

The last frost day in piedmont North Carolina is mid-April, but spring has been set in motion.

In A Vase On Monday—April Allure

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In A Vase On Monday – April Allure

Late on this April afternoon I am joining Cathy for In A Vase On Monday, a weekly challenge to fill a vase using materials gathered from one’s garden.

I wondered all weekend what might work in a vase for today, knowing blue-violet Anemone coronaria ‘Mr. Fokker’ would be my first choice. I had not imagined finding such a large and varied collection of blooms as I did. These flowers inspired me to create a formal classic round design.

Anemone coronaria ‘Mr. Fokker’

Camellia x ‘Koto-no-kaori’

Camellia x ‘Coral Delight’

Helleborus x hybridus (Lenten rose)

Spiraea prunifolia (bridal wreath spiraea)

Narcissus ‘Thalia’ (Thalia Daffodil)

For this week’s container I affixed floral foam to a 6-inch shallow plastic dish. Once the design was completed the shallow dish was placed atop the actual vase. The cream-colored ceramic urn, imprinted with “Vintage 4,” lends a traditional flair to the design and the extra height helps provide proper proportion.

The arrangement is held in a small shallow dish.

In A Vase On Monday

I am happy with the arrangement, although there are always things to tweak. After seeing photographs of the arrangement I realize too many of the flowers are vying to become the focal point, taking away the emphasis from Mr. Fokker. I really like the pure bright white of the Thalia daffodil, Anemone coronaria ‘Bride’ and spiraea, and think it would help the balance of the design to bring the white further down toward the base. I like the green tones of the older hellebores, serving almost as foliage, while the fresher pinkish ones echo the hue of the camellias.

It is wonderful to have enough flowers for a mixed arrangement this week. Spring is welcome to hang around a while.

Materials

Anemone coronaria ‘Bride’
Anemone coronaria ‘Mr. Fokker’
Narcissus ‘Thalia’ (Thalia Daffodil)
Camellia x ‘Coral Delight’
Camellia x ‘Koto-no-kaori’
Spiraea prunifolia (bridal wreath spiraea)
Helleborus x hybridus (Lenten rose)
Buxus microphylla var koreana ‘Wintergreen’ (Wintergreen boxwood)
Heuchera villosa ‘Big Top Bronze’ (Coral Bells)

Many thanks to Cathy at Rambling In The Garden for hosting. Please visit her to see what she and others are placing In A Vase On Monday.

Early April Trio And A Test

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Phlox subulata ‘Purple Beauty’

During yoga practice today the teacher said to focus on your passion, what makes your heart sing. Immediately I formed a picture of my early spring garden.

We have had several ideal days for gardening and I have tried to take advantage of the opportunity they bring. Sometimes that means working, weeding, planting, but sometimes it means sitting quietly, noticing the warm sun, the soft breeze, the gentle sounds.

Three plants in particular are enhancing the garden this week with their flowers. One is Phlox subulata. ‘Emerald Cushion Blue’ is blooming in the front side garden. Out back in the main garden ‘Emerald Cushion Blue’ is paired with the darker ‘Purple Beauty’ where together they are creating mounds of color at the front of the western border.

Phlox subulata ‘Purple Beauty’

Nearby, and at long last, a few Anemone coronaria have survived and blossomed. The white anemone ‘Bride’ opened three or four days earlier than blue-violet ‘Mr. Fokker’. Still no sign of dark pink ‘Admiral’ but I am delighted to see these.

Anemone coronaria ‘Bride’

Anemone coronaria ‘Mr. Fokker’

Just as I realized with some sadness the King Alfred and Tete-a-Tete Narcissus are beginning to fade, another favorite sprang up with striking, pure white flowers: Narcissus ‘Thalia’ (Thalia Daffodil).

Narcissus ‘Thalia’ (Thalia Daffodil)

Botanical Test

The test is one mentioned on the JC Raulston Arboretum blog, cited there as an April Fool’s entry. In fact it is a very tricky botanical knowledge quiz, apparently an annual spring tradition of Irina Kadis, Arnold Arboretum’s Curatorial Assistant. If you enjoy this year’s quiz, annual quizzes from Spring 2006-2014 are also available.

pbmGarden

Sense of place, purpose, rejuvenation and joy

Tag Archives: Narcissus ‘Thalia’ (Thalia Daffodil)

In A Vase On Monday – Spring Forward

In A Vase On Monday—Evolving Design

Entering Spring

In A Vase On Monday—April Allure

Early April Trio And A Test

Botanical Test